Warriors- The Broken Paths: Book One- Seaforest's Secret
by cinderheart4life
Summary: Seaforest is Medicine Cat of Fernclan and is very devoted to her work. But when she has kits, she has to choose- The kits or her. Melodykit is an ordinary kit, cute and curious. But when she goes adventuring, a terrible event occurs. FIRST MEDICINE CAT STORY. Please don't be harsh with reviews! :)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Warriors.**

**Hello, it's cinderheart4life. I would appreciate it if you read this. Please review!**

**This has 666 words. Short, I know. Next chapter will be longer! Please Review! (Again I said it... ;)...)**

Prologue

Seaforest's POV

As I wash my swelling belly, a stab of pity hits me. These kits aren't supposed to be born. "Don't worry my dears. I promise you that no one will ever know."

_But they won't know I'm their mother either._

I cringe as a sharp pain hits my stomach. I eat my herbs in the cold, damp tree hollow I'm hiding in. "Here you come, dears." I yelp. "I'm sorry for what you will go through."

* * *

My heart glows with pride and love as I watch my four kits wriggle by my belly. I have already decided their names. The tom with white fur and black patches is Splatterkit. The tom with white fur and gray patches is Stormkit. The she-kit with white fur and orange patches is Leafkit. And the she-kit with white fur and brown patches is Melodykit. It's interesting that they all have white fur with patches. I chuckle for a second and look back down at the kits. I could stay here with them for a few days, and right before their eyes open, I go back to camp. I will alert Pondstar that I found four kits in the forest, and with me being whimsical, I named them because I could never have kits and I wanted to see what it would feel like. They would believe me.

They'd have to. For the kit's sake.

* * *

After a few days, the kits had became slightly bigger. It hurt my heart when I ran to camp, milk already dried up, and told Pondstar what I 'found'. Pondstar sent Deerleap, Slashburn, and Froggynose to get the kits. I offered to carry them all, mostly because I didn't want them to get hurt by the warrior's killing claws. They laughed and I laughed along with them, only softer. I wanted to just love the kits until I couldn't love them any longer. But I couldn't. I had to hide it. I picked up Stormkit after saying the names to the Warriors. They smiled at the names, as if they fit the kits well. I had hoped they would.

Once I got to camp, Daisyfur offered to take them. She was kind and compassionate with her newborns, so they would be in good paws.

As I turned my back on the patched kits, my heart seemed to break in two. I dragged myself to the Medicine Cat Den and I didn't eat for days. Then I realized I had to stay strong so I could see the kits grow up.

I nursed myself back to health and I visited Daisyfur everyday. When she offered for me to wash them, I quickly pulled them all to me and washed them all. Once I finished, Daisyfur smiled. I shrugged. "You have Foxkit and Bravekit to wash." Then I hurried out.

The long days in the Medicine Cat Den seemed longer without my kits. Every once in a while, Pondstar would visit me and talk to me. She would ask if I was sick, or if I was depressed somehow. I just always said I wasn't.

All I ever wished was that my kits would grow up well, and maybe one would take interest in herbs. Oh, how wonderful that would be. Just us. Together. Saving lives.

But that wouldn't be ideal.

Every night I pray to Starclan not to take my kits from me. Not to kill them. I had done the ultimate for my clan, and I had done the worst for my only kin left.

_Please watch over Splatterkit, Stormkit, Leafkit, and Melodykit. Don't kill them young. Kill me instead. Do anything to keep them alive. Please watch their paths, for if they take one wrong step, one mistake, their paths would be broken._

* * *

**Oooh! Cliff Hanger! See you next update!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Warriors.**

**Hello, it's cinderheart4life here, and this is Chapter ONE of this story! *jumps excitedly* Let's get to it!**

**Words- 1,273! YES!**

Chapter One

Melodykit's POV

I wake to the warm milky scent of Daisyfur. My eyes blink open as Splatterkit sits over me. "Hi!" He chirps. I shake him off and watch his tail. I pounce on it and squeal.

"I got it! I got it! Mama, look, I got it!" Daisyfur smiles down at me.

"How wonderful dear!" I puff my chest out proudly as Splatterkit hisses.

"You get your dirty little paws off of me!" He leaps onto me and rolls me over. I squeal. "Splattakit! Splattakit!" Splatterkit jumps off and turns to Stormkit and Leafkit. Daisyfur suddenly pulls all of us to her belly.

"Mama! Hey!" I giggle, sending moss everywhere. Daisyfur looks up as Seaforest enters the den. Her elegant white and black fur shines in the rising sun's rays.

"Hello Daisyfur, kits." Her voice sounds depressed, as usual. I bounce up to her.

"Mama says you can never have kits, cause you are a Medicine Cat." Grief spills off of the she-cat in waves. Daisyfur gives me a stern glare.

"Melodykit, that is not something nice to say." She meows sharply.

"It's okay, Daisyfur. She tells me the same thing every time I come in here. Yes, you are correct Melodykit, I'm not allowed to have kits." With that Seaforest lies down a few feet away. Splatterkit, Stormkit, and Leafkit immediately walk over. Daisyfur nudges me over in the line of kits. As Seaforest's tongue meets a new littermate's head, they stick out their tongue and frown. Once she reaches me, I smile slightly, trying to be kind. Once Seaforest finishes, she sits back up.

"Now you all look so clean. And look, Foxkit and Bravekit are done as well. Now you're all clean." Then she sighs. "Goodbye Daisyfur. Goodbye kits." Sadness rolls off her again as she pads away solemnly. I bounce back to Daisyfur.

"Why does she always visit us?" I chirp, like I do every day after Seaforest leaves. Daisyfur rests her tail on my head.

"Because she wants to make sure you're all healthy." I nod and wobble over to Leafkit.

"Wanna go outside?" Leafkit's ears twitch. She tilts her head, then it snaps up again.

"Sure!"

We both bound out to the clearing. Pondstar's eyes drift down to us. "First time out, eh?" We both nod enthusiastically. Pondstar grins. "Be safe." I nod again and bounce to a small bush. Leafkit shoves her head into the bright green leaves.

"Empty!" She reports to me. I stick my own head in. It had bare space, and it was sheltered.

"Yes! We can play in here!" I squeak. I shove my body into the new play place. My fur has twigs stuck in it. I lick them out as Leafkit enters. I wash the debris off of her pelt. Leafkit grins. Then she stares at a round, pointy, brown thing.

"What is _that_?" Leafkit mewls, astonished. I stare at the object. Slowly, I inch towards it, my paw reached out, almost there...

_OUCH!_

Stinging runs through my paw. Leafkit stares, wide eyed. I look at my paw. There, stuck on it, was the object, and around it there was a scarlet liquid that smelled thick and salty. I scream. Leafkit looks around, panicking.

"Oh No! Daisyfur, help! Help Daisyfur!" She cries, tears welling in her blue eyes. I try to put my paw down, but it hurts even more. A scarlet print of my paw sits there. I wail.

"Help!"

Suddenly a rustle shakes the bush. I shrink down, terrified. White teeth come through, and I wail. "Daisyfur!" The teeth fasten around my thick scruff and pull me through the bush's branches and leaves. I try to turn my head to face my attacker, but I can't manage it. Soon I'm set down in the Medicine Cat den. Scruff and paw stinging, I turn my head to face Seaforest. She doesn't notice me though. I lift my head, which is still covered in tears.

"Help me!" I cry, ears flat against my head. Seaforest takes some yellow flower and chews it up. My heart sinks. Why would she destroy a pretty flower? She spats it on a leaf and takes my paw. She rips off the object carefully. As it unhooks from my paw, I scream. Seaforest licks my head in comfort. Then she licks off the scarlet liquid. She puts some cobwebs around my paw and lets go. I try to stand on it, but I whine and tumble backwards.

"My paw!" I squeak. "What did you do to my paw?" She narrows her eyes, then makes them wide and kind.

"I didn't do anything to hurt you, dear. I helped you. That pointy thing is called a burr, and they do hurt, so don't touch them." I nod quickly. Then she continues. "When I visit tomorrow, I'll have a look see. Now, go on back to Daisyfur."

I stumble back to the Nursery. When Daisyfur spots me, her eyes grow wide. "Oh dear, what happened to you?" I hold up my injured paw.

"I touched a burr and it hurt my paw. Seaforest fixed it for me." Daisyfur nods and pulls me close.

"Never leave without me again, you hear?" I quickly nod and curl up against my mother's belly. Her warm fur enfolds me in and I begin to dream of racing through forests and pouncing on mice.

* * *

I wake to the sounds of my littermates. I keep my eyes closed, knowing that they probably wouldn't want me to interrupt.

"Let's go out!" Stormkit's voice chided.

"Mama said we can't without her." Leafkit's voice reasons.

I hear a snort from Splatterkit. "We need to go get some fresh air. Mama can't deny that. And we can practice for being apprentices too! We can climb up all the rocks! Mama will be so proud!" A pleased purring erupts from Leafkit.

"Fine, let's go." I hear their feet scramble out of the nursery. It's tempting to stay back and nurse, because I hadn't gotten a feeding last night. But my littermates left without me. I had to go. I had to prove I was as strong as them.

I open my eyes and twitch my ears. Daisyfur was still sleeping. I stumbled out to my littermates at the foot of the rock pile. Leafkit smiles at me, as does Splatterkit. But Stormkit stiffens. "She can't!" He protests. Splatterkit glares at him.

"Yes, she can. How about we show her first?" He smirks, knowing his brother would still win this battle, even though it would be a compromise. Stormkit sniffs and turns.

"Fine, but we all show her first." I huff.

_I bet they can't do it themselves!_

But I sit back and watch them step up the pile, one by one, only sliding once or twice. Finally, Splatterkit starts to go up.

_I'm next!_

As he reaches the top, I sprawl out, trying to show how bored I am. I yawn for good measure. Stormkit glares down. Splatterkit smirks.

Suddenly, caught off guard, Splatterkit slips. His paw catches between a rock. He struggles against it, and it comes loose. In shock, I sit there, frozen. I hear yowls coming from my littermates of warning. Too stunned, I just sit there as a boulder rolls down towards me, gaining speed.

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffhanger! I just love throwing those in randomly!**

**-cinderheart4life**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Warriors.**

**The cliffie ends here! Let's get it going!**

**Words- 2,299! :D**

Chapter Three

Melodykit's POV

Suddenly, caught off guard, Splatterkit slips. His paw catches between a rock. He struggles against it, and it comes loose. In shock, I sit there, frozen. I hear yowls coming from my littermates of warning. Too stunned, I just sit there as a boulder rolls down towards me, gaining speed.

A million bolts of pain roll up my spine and around my body. I lay there, eyes open but darkened. Things moved in slow motion. My littermates bound down to me, slowly, as it seems. Seaforest runs at full speed from the top of the ravine where her den is. Daisyfur is almost immediately at my side, covering me in licks. I am lifted by my scuff up to the Medicine Cat's Den. As I'm laid in the fresh moss, I try to move my body, but it doesn't work. I try to make a noise, but nothing comes out.

_Am I _dead?

I am fed something that makes me go into a deep, dark sleep.

* * *

Seaforest's POV

As I work, my heart pounds.

_Starclan, how could you let this happen! Kill me, not her!_

I try to mend the tiny body, but the best I can do is just leave it alone.

She was paralyzed.

Never would she be able to hunt or run, to bound through the trees and feel the wind in her fur. Oh, how her life would be a pit of depression and humiliation.

Once I was sure the kit was alright, I found another problem. She had infected her burr wound.

I quickly cleaned it out. Then I went outside the den. It was already night. I stared up at the moon and the stars.

_Please watch over Melodykit. Let her live._

* * *

Meldoykit's POV

I open my eyes weakly. I try to stretch out, thinking it was all a dream. But immediately I knew it wasn't.

Nothing below my waist would move. I look up, my eyes blurry, to Seaforest.

"What happened?" I ask flatly. Seaforest's eyes drift to mine.

"Melodykit, the boulder rolled over you, and you have broken your spine. You will never walk again."

I feel like I had been crushed by the same boulder, only this time, worse. "W-what?" I stammer. Seaforest's eyes are depressed.

"You will never walk again. It has been five moon rises since your accident. I am sorry, but you will never be able to hunt or run, to bound past the trees and feel the wind in your fur."

I cough. "Then I can't be a Warrior! What will I be then?" Seaforest's eyes look up.

"You will be a Medicine Cat. You have to be."

I blink my eyes to expel the hot tears. "I'm fine, watch!" I sniffle. I try to move, but all I can manage are my front paws. I fall, defeated. "I...I have to be a medicine cat? I can't have kits, or hunt, or be leader?" This time I do cry. Oh, how I wanted to just be having a nightmare.

Seaforest's thick tail rests on my shoulders. "I know this must be hard for you, dear Melodykit. But it is the only way. Look to the positive aspects, why don't you?" I close my eyelids and try to imagine the good parts, but in my mind there are none. But maybe being a Medicine Cat would be okay. Maybe I would enjoy it. I lifted my head and pointed my nose to my paw. I don't ask out of wonder, or out of wanting to know, but I ask my question in a way that I think will make the deep rock of pity crawling inside of me go away.

"What herb is that?"

* * *

I stretch my brown splattered paws out in front of me. Seaforest's deep blue orbs drift onto my dull rock colored ones. "Awake so early?" She stretches, black patched back arching. "Well, I guess you can try to move around a bit." I grit my teeth and pushed up on my thick, chubby kit paws and moved one forward. Exhaustion shoots through me, sending me sprawling out on the floor. My head slams into a pile of herbs. Seaforest lets out a soft but stern growl. I quickly roll off, in danger of being scolded.

"Sorry Seaforest!" I yelp apologetically. Seaforest nods slowly, night sky eyes still narrowed. I shiver at her cold glare and decide today to try to make it to the puddle where Seaforest lets patients drink. It's only a few tail lengths away, but it would take me days to get there. I scrunch up my face like I smelled some dirt and pushed up on my paws unstably. I drag myself inch by inch to the shimmering puddle. Seaforest's stern gaze drifts onto my exercise. A gleam of pride shines in her deep, dark eyes. One more step to go. I drag my feet and fall face first into the puddle. I snap my head up and snarl.

"Yuck!" My paws wipe my face as Seaforest grins.

"Like to get wet?" She snickers. I growl and start to drag myself back to my nest.

"It's not my fault. I thought you'd be _proud _I made it that far." I sprawl out in my mossy nest. Seaforest groans.

"You always over react. Ever since your fall, you've been dramatic towards every little thing. You'll be my apprentice is a quarter moon. Which reminds me, today is your littermates' ceremony."

A stone of depression seems to drop it's weight on me. "W-what?" I stammer.

Seaforest nods, and suddenly waves of depression roll off of her. I tilt my head. She snaps her head back up and grins wider than ever. I shrink back. "Let's go down there." She picks me up by my scruff.

"Hey!" I protest. Once Blizzardpaw spots me, he points at me and laughs. My ears start to burn with humiliation. Once she sets me down next to her, my dull, dusty irises lock with Splatterkit's bright green ones. Envy fills me up. Seaforest looks down at me ad sighs.

"Go join them. You can be apprenticed early." I grin up at her and quickly drag myself to my brothers and sister. Leafkit presses up against me, and my broad shouldered brothers cover my face in licks. Pondstar rises from her rock and looks down at me.

"Melodykit has recently had a fall, and Seaforest will become her mentor." She looks down at Seaforest. Seaforest ruffles her fur.

"Cats of Thunderclan, as you know, I cannot live forever, so it is time I chose an apprentice. I have chosen a cat that has shown strength even though she was injured greatly. Your next Medicine Cat will be Melodypaw."

Cheers sound behind me as I drag myself up to Pondstar. "Melodypaw, do you accept the post of Seaforest's apprentice?" I gulp.

_Do I? Do I really want to heal cats? But what other choice do I have?_

"I do." Waves of happiness and depression mix through me. I'd never be a warrior. But I'm okay with that... right?

"Then you must travel to the Light Pool at half moon to be accepted with Starclan before the other Medicine Cats." Seaforest meows flatly. I nod quickly, happy to be accepted. After Seaforest's words, the clan disbands. Probably for one final assessment of my littermates. I drag myself up the steep hill and place myself by some herbs. Seaforest smiles down at me, and shows me an herb. It is round and purple.

"This is the juniper berry. It soothes bellyaches, gives strength, helps troubled breathing, and is also sometimes used to calm cats. It is chewed and eaten." I nod quickly.

_Juniper berry, purple, bellyaches, strength, troubled breathing, calming. Eaten. Okay. Juniper berry. _

Next Seaforest takes out a tall, bristly stemmed plant. "This is horsetail. It treats infection and stops bleeding. It is chewed to a poultice and applied to wounds."

_Horsetail, tall and bristly, infection, bleeding, poultice. Okay, horsetail._

Seaforest puts the horsetail back and takes out a flower that looks like a daisy. A sharp tangy smell hits my nose. "This is feverfew. It reduces body temperature for cats with fever or chills. It also heals aches and pains, especially headaches. It is eaten"

_Feverfew, for fevers, headaches and aches. Eaten. Okay. Feverfew._

Seaforest puts the feverfew away and sits, tail curling around her black paws. "You've done good, Melodypaw. I'm looking forward to having you as an apprentice." I smile up at my mentor.

I hope I will look forward to it too, soon.

* * *

Pokes in my side tell me it's time to awake. I yawn, stretching out my front paws. Once I open my eyelids, heavy with sleep, Seaforest sits there, ocean blue eyes staring in on me. I drag myself in an upright position. "Yes?" Seaforest hisses and swats my ear.

"Hold these herbs and follow me to the elder's den." She shoves a bundle of leaves and berries in between my teeth. I stare at her in shock, gray eyes bulging. But I don't argue as I drag myself behind her to the old bush that is the elder's den. When I pull myself through the scratchy bush, dropping the herbs on the ground in doing so. Seaforest growls as I tilt my head down to pick it up. Once they are back in my jaws, I drag myself closer to the four elders. Bluefrost, Longfur, Streamdusk, and Featherscratch. Bluefrost lifts her head, staring blindly at the wall.

"Who's there? If it's one of those Dark Forest kits, tell 'em I've had enough!" Seaforest taps Bluefrost's back.

"It's just me and Melodypaw. Just giving you herbs." Seaforest's words seem to have an edge, but they are soothing in a way. Longfur rests his wiry tail on Bluefrost's shoulders.

"All is well, my dear." He explains hoarsely. Bluefrost nods in his direction and waits for the herbs to arrive by her. Seaforest deals out the herbs. I wonder what they're called.

_All in good time, Melodypaw._

Bluefrost laps up the herbs. She blinks her sightless white eyes a couple of times. Longfur and the others swallow theirs quite unceremoniously. I shrug and shake out my fur. Once Seaforest is finished, she turns back to me.

"We better go out looking for herbs. Why don't you go get a head start- look for some of the herbs I've shown you." I want to jump up and down, except, well, I can't.

"Okay!" I drag myself out of the bush and up the ravine's side. I pull through the entrance and head towards the creek. When I spot a patch of feverfew, I praise Starclan. I pull it apart, and then I hear a pitiful mewl. Then another, and another.

I look down, and there, squirming and wiggling around on top of dead flowers, were three tiny tabby kits. Newborns, to be precise. I gasp.

_What do I do? Do I take them to camp? OF COURSE! What are you, stupid?_

As I bent my head down to pick the gray tabby up, it mewls loudly. I put it down quickly, afraid. The kit squirms to my belly. My heart breaks. Poor kits. Abandon.

I sigh, pushing the kit away. Then it squirms back over and curls up against my chest. I purr loudly and lick it's head. I immediately knew I couldn't take this kit back to camp. I could keep it in the forest is a nest, and heavily guard it. I could visit it every day, and I would be like it's mother. I can never be a real mother, so maybe the caving inside of me would end. I picked up the gray tabby and ran towards a bush. I set it by me and found some thorns.

I wrapped the outside of the bush with the thorns and I put some strong smelling onion grass inside and I rolled the kit in it. Then I wove a nest of moss, rabbit fur, feathers, and more onion grass. I lay the kit in it. It had enough room for me to curl up in it as well. I left the bush and found some fresh killed rabbit that was dug by a tree. Warriors had probably killed it.

I take the rabbit back to the bush and find some leaves. I place them in front of the kit and chew up some rabbit. Once it was like liquid, I spat it out on the leaf. Once all the rabbit was gone, I quickly licked the kit and ran to the feverfew.

Seaforest was there, watching the kits. She looked up at me sternly. "Have you seen these kits already?" I swallow. My ears burn as I shake my head.

"Nope. Never in my life." As I lie, I feel my soul dampen. She picks up the orange tabby, and I pick up the brown tabby. They mewl loudly and flail their paws in the air, as if they know I took their littermate. I sigh.

Once we reach camp, Deerwatch takes them in. Her unborn kits were due any day now. As I left the Nursery, I feel very bad, but good too. Once they're older, they will become friends. I will bring their littermate back, even though they will never know they are related.

Unless I tell them.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry for the sort of cliffhanger! Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Warriors.**

**Sorry for the sort-of-cliffhanger. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Four

Melodypaw's POV

Eyelids heavy from sleep, I yawn, stretching out my short dirty-looking paws and stick my needle sharp claw-tips into the moss. Seaforest snores, nostrils flaring as she breathes out, a few nests away from me. I push up on my fore legs and drag myself to the fresh-kill pile, grabbing a shrew, and I head through the bracken entrance and into the forest. Once I reach it, the stench of onion grass wafts around me. I shove myself through the bush and curl up in the nest. The gray tabby kit lay there, breathing lightly. I smile widely, happy to see it again.

I begin to rasp my bright pink tongue over the thin, cave water colored fur. I soon figured out the kit was a tom. I noticed he was awake when his paws flinched. Nosing the tom's fur made me feel amazing. Made me feel complete. I knew I would get in trouble if anyone ever found out, but this was the only way I could raise a kit.

Or was it?

Shaking that thought away, the tom begins to wail. I cringe, watching him part his jaws and bite into my belly area, where he would get milk. I pull him from me and nab the shrew. I do what I did with the rabbit and spit the meat out on the leaf. The tom mewls once before he wolfs into the meat. Suddenly embarrassment hit me.

I need to name the kit, or else he will be nameless, and I will just have to say ' The Tom kit'. I ponder this though, wondering what to name the kit that Deerwatch should be naming. He was cave colored. Suddenly his name came to me.

"Hello, Cavernkit." Cavernkit's head shoots up immediately, like it was his name forever. I chuckle. "Like your name, huh?" Cavernkit mewls, as though in agreement. I nod. "Okay, good." I curl up tighter around the kit, and soon I am drawn into a foggy clearing.

* * *

I awake and yawn, keeping my eyes closed. The warmth and steady rising of Caverkit's miniature body leaves me. My eyes drift open. "Where are you little buddy?" I scan the bush, but the kit is nowhere to be seen. Panic rises in my chest. "Cavernkit!" I call. "Cavernkit, where are you?" I roll onto my dragging side and pull myself out of the bush. His scent wasn't anywhere.

I must have dragged myself through the territory over and over for a long time, because soon Seaforest was padding towards me, wet moss clinging in her jaw. I was exhausted, panting, with sweat rolling off of my fur. She looks down at me, deep, unforgiving eyes suddenly becoming sympathetic. She rests the moss by my head. I lap up the semi-fresh rain water, praising Starclan for the delicious liquid. Once I am finished, she looks down at me once again.

"What's going on?" She whispers. I keep my jaws clenched shut. I couldn't tell. She'd make me give him up! But what choice did I have? I don't know what took him or where, and maybe she would help look. I take a deep breath in and sigh it out.

"I lied." I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. "I lied about not seeing the kits in the fever few, I did see them, and I lied about it. But I also took one of their siblings that seemed to like me. I...I...I kept him in a bush, and today I snuck out to see him and feed him." Shimmering tears come slowly from my depressed gray eyes. "I named him Cavernkit. Then I went to sleep, and when I woke, he was stolen. And now I can't find him anywhere. What will happen to him? He was my responsibility, and...and... I let him down."

Seaforest tilts her head. "What you did was horribly wrong. Kits need mothers that are _mothers_, not paralyzed medicine cat apprentices." Her words are cruel, but they are true. "And if a predator _did _happen to come and take him, it's not like you could do anything except for beg." I nod. "And do you know how many dangers there are in a forest for a defenseless kit?"

"Yeah." I mewl. "But will you help me find him?" My eyes lock with nothing but her deep, deep, blue ones. She nods.

"I could never let a kit die. Ever."

A small glimmer of hope sparked inside of me.

She pelts ahead of me, nose following a trail of something. I shrug and try to go after her.

It hurts my front paws to keep up with her. Stinging throbs shoot up my paws and up my legs to my chest as I pull along. My wide eyes lock on the ground. Not looking up, left, or right.

We reach a small meadow with one giant, gnarled tree. Seaforest looks directly at me, unforgiving eyes boring deep into me. I shudder from fright.

"Don't follow me. You hear that?" Her voice wavers, as though if I follow, I will be certainly hurt. I nod silently and unceremoniously. She trots towards the tree. Then I realize why she didn't want me to come.

"Seaforest!" I yowl. But it's too late. She leaps into the hole in the roots. The _fox _was in there. She would get injured!

After a few heartbeats, she hops out with something gray in her jaws. I immediately pull myself at full speed towards the kit and my mentor.

Cavernkit is covered in blood. His own, and something else's. I growl at Seaforest. She eyes me warily, like I'm crowfood. I shrink back and continue to drag myself beside her.

* * *

It feels like a lifetime before we reach camp. The sun was high in the sky, and many cats are patrolling. Pondstar rushes up to us, but Seaforest nudges her away. Entering the Medicine Cat den, Seaforest sets down fragile Cavernkit. She cleans off the blood and applies poultices to his cuts. I just stare for a while, until I decide to comfort him. I lick his head and cuddle him close. This gets me agitated growls from Seaforest. I drag myself away.

Once Seaforest is finished, she takes Cavernkit to the nursery. When she returns, se sits down.

"Now, why did you want him?" Her voice is soft but imperative.

"I-I just wanted a friend. Nobody seems to want to hang out with the paralyzed medicine cat. But that's why I like Cavernkit as company! He doesn't _know _what to like or who to hang out with. If he grows up as my friend, it'll be a friendship forever."

Once I finish speaking, I know that I'm desperate. Raising a kit in the forest after taking it from his littermates, Naming it. Feeding it chewed up meat, when it should be at his mother's belly. I am hopeless. Now he'll be far away from me.

Even the hill down to the nursery is too far.

* * *

I curl up in my nest, belly full. Maybe I'm not meant to have any friends. That way, I'll be devoted to my work.

But will I be fully happy?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Melodypaw's POV

Eyes heavy, I drift back to reality. Seaforest snores heavily, nose buried in her mossy nest. I feel a poke on my shoulder, and I lift my head groggily. The outline of Daisyfur stands over me. I rub my eyes, clearing the blurry vision. My dust-like-eyes stare quizzically up at my mother.

"Deerwatch, kits!" She coughs, breathing heavily. As I watch her pant, I wonder if she came to tell me because she tried, but failed.

"Wake Seaforest! I don't know how to birth kits!" I snap coldly. Daisyfur narrows her emerald green orbs at me.

"Meldoypaw, that is no way to treat your mother!" She scolds. "I never raised you this way!"

She continues, but I just ignore it. I drag myself to Seaforest and jab her with a paw. Once she opens her deep, ominous blue eyes at me and tilts her head, probably wondering why I just woke her so early. The sun hadn't even risen from the horizon yet.

"Kits." I explain quickly. "Deerwatch's."

Seaforest immediately springs into action, grabbing borage leaves, poppy seeds, and a stick. She pelts down the hill quickly, and all I hear is the drumming of her paw steps into the nursery.

I try my hardest to drag myself quickly to the nursery, and fortunately, she wasn't starting. Seaforest looks at me quickly, then flashes her eyes away.

"Melodypaw, get ready to grab the kits as they are born and get the sac off. Then make sure they're breathing well by licking their fur the wrong way. And," She adds as I move in my selected area. "Daisyfur, get Cavernkit, Squirrelkit and Dustykit away. They won't help by nursing." Daisyfur quickly follows her instruction. A sad pang hits my heart when I hear Cavernkit's name. But I quickly ignore it.

Seaforest stares down at Deerwatch's terrified icy blue eyes. "It's okay. It's natural. Now, bite on the stick when the pain comes." She pauses, paws on the queen's belly. She motions me over, and I put a paw on her belly next to one of Seaforest's.

"Once you feel a kick, tell her to push." Seaforest instructs. I stare up at her blankly.

"How do I know when's the _right _one?" I ask.

"You'll know."

I take her words and wait. They were moving, but not really kicking. Then, I feel a big bump against my paw.

"Push!"

Deerwatch scrunches up her face and does what seems to me like 'pushing'. She screams in pain. She pushes again, and this time, a bundle slides out. Remembering my instruction, I nip the sac off and lick it's fur against the groove. I heard it's small rasping breaths, and smiled.

I had just done my first kitting.

* * *

Only one more kit is born. Both healthy she-kits. One was light brown and the other was dark brown. I didn't really examine the fur colors because it was too dark to really see detail.

As Seaforest and I went back to our den, I watched Pondstar staring at me. Disapproval shone brightly in her eyes. I had no idea why she was acting hostile. I thought she liked me.

But maybe it was something else.

Seaforest sighed as we reached our nests. Instinctively, I tilted my head, confused.

"What?" I rasp over my washing.

"Tonight's the half moon. If you've noticed."

I push my chest up indignantly. "Of course I have!" I lied.

She chuckled her semi-cruel laugh. "That means we have to get you to the Moonpool so you're officially a Medicine Cat Apprentice."

My heart drops.

How will I ever get there, with my legs the way they are?

But of course, I have to prove yet again that I _am _strong.

"Fine!" I snap. "I'll do it!"

She nods, her head tilting forward, then down, then back up. "Well, it's almost sundown, so we better start."

* * *

Pain and relief.

That's all I feel.

Pain because the trip was long and difficult for me. And we arrived very late, so we felt the bee stings of embarrassment.

Relief because we finally arrived.

I stare up at the other cats. A big, muscular, brown tabby tom with cold, unfriendly, icy blue eyes stares back at me, annoyance shining in his eyes. He looks at me like I'm crowfood. Then he looks at Seaforest, astounded.

"_She's _your _apprentice_?" He asks, shocked. Seaforest leans towards him to whisper into his ear.

A little hurt, I look at the other cats. A small gray she-cat with perfectly shaped leaf-like eyes smiles down at me.

"Hi. I'm Fernpath, the medicine cat from Windclan. I suppose you are Seaforest's apprentice now?"

I nod quickly. "Yeah." I mumble.

She tilts her head. "Huh?"

I push myself up a little higher, straighten my neck as best as I could, and reply. "Yes. I am Melodypaw."

The strange she-cat nods. I turn my attention to the two other cats.

The bigger one is a black furred she-cat with white speckles on her back. Her beautiful, swirling amber eyes seem to smile for her. "Hello, little one." Her old voice rasps. "I'm the medicine cat from Riverclan. My name is Blackspeckle. What a coincidence, huh? Considering I have black fur and white speckles."

I immediately like this old cat.

"And this is my apprentice, Tidepaw. Say hello, Tidepaw."

A medium sized apprentice pads around her. His light gray, almost blue fur shines in the moonlight. Darker gray stripes make tabby patterns on his fur. His icy blue eyes aren't cold like the other cat's, though. They seem very warm.

"Hi. This is my first Moonpool visit too. What a journey!" He exclaims, acting exhausted. I chuckle at him. Then he composes himself again. "Not to be rude, but what happened?"

I swallow hard. I've never had to explain to anyone what exactly _happened. _As I grab for words, Seaforest leans back from the hostile tom and looks down at me.

"Melodypaw, this is-" She starts.

"I'm Talonfreeze. Medicine Cat from Shadowclan."

His name fits him.

I nod.

With that, we head towards the shimmering water.

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffie. Too tired to continue. :( I'll post quickly! Sorry for last time.**


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